Chicago Bears fans cannot wait for rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman to hit the ground running. However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that the first thing Thieneman needs to do is earn a role with the starting unit. During the first session of OTAs, Johnson made it clear that Thieneman will begin with the second team and work his way up from there.
The Chicago Bears are making Dillon Thieneman earn his first-team work
Thieneman worked with the second-team defense alongside Cam Lewis, while Elijah Hicks was bumped up to the first team to play next to Coby Bryant. Hicks has been in the NFL for four years and has logged 1,079 career snaps. His career high in snaps came in 2023, and he has already played 68 defensive snaps under Dennis Allen. Considering he is entering his fifth NFL season and is primarily viewed as a special teams contributor, it is clear that this setup is likely a placeholder rather than a long-term plan.
That does not mean Thieneman is guaranteed to move into the starting lineup immediately. He may not overtake Hicks by the end of OTAs or even by mandatory minicamp. Still, it would be surprising if he made it several weeks into training camp without taking control of the role. Even before officially becoming a starter, there is a chance he begins mixing in with the first-team defense during practices.
The approach makes sense from the Bears' perspective. While Thieneman was a first-round pick and is viewed as a player with a relatively high floor, there are still adjustments that come with transitioning to the NFL. There is no reason for the Bears to put too much on his plate right away when there is plenty of time before the regular season begins.
For now, the team can allow Thieneman to learn the defense, absorb the playbook, and work through mistakes with the second unit. Meanwhile, Hicks already knows the defense, understands how practices operate, and can step into the first-team role without slowing anything down. That allows the coaching staff to keep things moving while bringing the rookie along at a steady pace.
The Bears appear focused on making Thieneman earn his role rather than simply handing it to him because of where he was drafted. That should not come as a surprise, and it is also why none of the rookie draft picks saw significant work with the first-team units during the opening OTA practices.
That opportunity will come eventually. The Bears clearly have high expectations for Thieneman, and there is a reason they invested a first-round pick in him. For now, though, the coaching staff is taking a patient approach and allowing him to develop at the proper pace before moving him into a larger role.
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